Baggage trundle



April 13, 1954 I H. B. TOBIAS BAGGAGE TRUNDLE Filed June 15. 1949 FIG.5

-- INVENTOR.

32 Herrmonn B. Tobias A fitornley Patented Apr. 13, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under Title 35, U. S. Code (1952),

sec. 266) 3 Claims.

. l The invention described herein, if patented, may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates to mechanism to be attached to a traveling bag, duffle bag, or the like, so that it may be readily moved, without lifting, from one point to another, as from the train-side to a taxicab or vice versa, especially when such bag is heavy and no assistance is obtainable.

One object of the invention resides in the provision of a simplified construction which may be ordinarily stored within the traveling bag, may be easily and simply attached to the exterior of the bag without the use of tools, and the opera tive portion of which may be swung and automatically secured in either operative or inoperative position.

Another object of the invention consists in providing a simplified and novel means for attaching the apparatus to a traveling bag.

A still further object of the invention consists in providing simple adjustments to regulate the length of the device suitable to the height of the operator or the size of the traveling bag or duflie bag.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a braking mechanism which is automatically applied when the trundle is descending an incline.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the trundle in use;

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary elevational view of the attachment, partly in section, showing the inoperative position of the leg in dotted outline;

Figure 3 is a perspective view thereof;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the metal frame to be attached to the particular piece of bag age;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detailed view showing in dotted lines the manner of operation of the automatic breaking mechanism; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detailed view of a modified form for adjusting the length of the supporting leg.

Referring particularly to Figs. 2 and 4, the numeral Ii! designates an open frame which may be bent up from a single piece of wire so as to provide end crossbars I l and an intermediate crossbar l2. The ends of the wire may be welded or otherwise connected to the body of the frame, if desired, as indicated by the numeral l3. This frame, as a whole, is bent at right angles to provide an upwardly extending portion 14 adapted to engage the side of the baggage to which the apparatus is to be applied, and a horizontal portion l5 adapted to contact and extend transversely of the bottom of the traveling bag.

This frame [0 is adapted to be secured about the corner of a traveling bag A, as clearly indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, and in order that the appliance may be detachably connected to the traveling bag, one strap section It is looped around and secured to the crossbar ll of the frame by riveting as indicated by the numeral 11. A complementary tieing strap I8 is secured to the other end crossbar l I by a like riveted loop as indicated by the numeral I9, and the free end of strap section It is provided with apertures 20 adapted to cooperate with a buckle 2| provided on the free end of strap section [8 so as to securely attach the frame to one of the lower corners of a traveling bag when the device is to be placed in use. At other times, of course, the trundle may [be stored within the traveling bag itself. Pivoted to the intermediate crossbar l2 of the frame in as indicated by th numeral 22, is an L-shaped member 23, provided with a short leg section 24 adapted to have one surface engage the bottom of the traveling bag near the midportion thereof and in its other position to have its opposite surface engage the bottom of the raveling bag adjacent the side thereof.

L-shaped member 23 is provided at the angle thereof with a detent 25 which may be stuck-up from the material of the L-shaped member and cooperates with a similar detent 26, formed of metal and riveted to the loop I9 of the strap 18. These two detents are so arranged as to permit a snap action therebetween so as to releasably hold the member 23 in its operative position as shown in full lines in Figs. 1 to 3, inclusive,

Leg 2! forms the longer element of the .L- shaped member 23 and is provided at its lower end with a carriage or frame 23. This frame is formed of metal bent into an inverted U-shape and provided with a slot 29 through which the lower end of the leg 21 enters the interior of the carriage or frame. As will be noted by viewing Figs. 2, 3, and 5, the carriage 28 is pivoted in one of a series of openings 31], adjacent the lower end of the leg 2?, as indicated by the numeral 30, thus providing a free extension 3|, beyond the pivot point 30'. The frame 28 has mounted thereon a pair of wheels or rollers 32, arranged 3 in tandem formation, as indicated by the numeral 33. The lower portion of the leg 21 is preferably provided with a number of weakened lines or slight notches St, to permit the shortening of the extension by removing one or more of the lower sections thereof, in the event that it is desired to shorten the leg. As will be noted in the dotted line position of the carriage (Fig. 5) the extension 31 of the leg 21 is automatically caused to engage one of the Wheels 32 when the trundle is descending a hill, thereby providing for an automatic braking action for the purpose of preventing excessive travel of the device on a grade.

An alternate structure for adjusting the length 21b. In this form, the sections are provided with elongated slots 21c and one or more clamping nuts and bolts 21d extend through the slots and serve to clamp the sections in adjusted positions.

For the purpose of maintaining the operative portion or the trundlein inoperative position when the device is installed on the exterior of the traveling bag, the strap i6 is provided with a clip 35 preferabl riveted thereto, as indicated by numeral 33, and having its ends rolled inwardly, as indicated by the numeral 31, to provide opposed resilient members adapted to releasably engage the lateral edges of the leg 21 when the latter is swung upwardly against the side of the traveling bag, as indicated in Fig. 2.

In use, the trundle mechanism i ordinarily stored on the interior of the traveling bag. However, when there is a possibility of its being placed in'operation, it is removed from the interior of the bag and the frame It! attached tc'one corner of the bag by passing the straps I6 and it around the back and securing the free ends thereof by means of the buckle 2| and apertures 20. When thus secured the leg 21 is normally in inoperative position by means of the clips 31, as heretofore mentioned and as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. When the traveling bag is to be transported from the train-side or elsewhere, the leg 21 is swung downwardly out of engagement with the clips 31 and into engagement with the detent 26 on the loop I9 of crossbar H, so as to releasably hold the leg 21 in vertical position below the bottom of the traveling bag as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. When the leg is so disposed, the wheels 32 may rest upon the a too precipitate descent of the baggage. 'If' the leg 21 is too long for the particular purchaser, or a relatively large piece of baggage is to be supported by it, then the carriage 28 may be pivoted in one of the upper holes 39 and a corresponding length of the extension 3| removed at the appropriate weakened line 34.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described what I now consider to be the preferred form of construction of the novel trundle, but since various minor changes may be made in structural details without departing from the spirit of the invention, it is intended that all such variations be included within the scope of the appended claims.

Iolaim:

1. A trundle for baggage and the like, comprising a leg adapted to be rigidly fixed to a piece of baggage, a frame to which the leg is pivoted at a point on the leg spaced from its lower end so as to provide an extension beyond the pivot, and a wheel mounted in said frame with its periphery adjacent to and in the plane of the free end of the leg when the leg is in mid-position, whereby tilting of the leg with respect to the frame will bring the extension of the leg into contact with the periphery of the wheel to provide a braking action on the Wheel.

2. A trundle for baggage and the like comprising a leg adapted to be rigidly fixed to a piece of baggage, an inverted U-shaped frame of sheet metal provided with a slot at the base thereof,

mounted in the frame with its periphery adjacent to and in the plane of the extension of the leg, whereby tilting of the leg with respect to the frame will bring the extension of the leg into contact with the periphery of the wheel to provide a braking action on the wheel.

3. A trundle for baggage and the like, comprising a leg adapted to be attached to a piece of baggage, the lower portion of the leg being pro vided with a plurality of transverse weakened sections, each of said sections being provided with means for pivoting a frame thereon, a frame pivoted to a section spaced from the lower end of the leg to provide a downward extension on the leg, and a wheel mounted in said frame with its periphery adjacent to and in the plane of the extension of the leg, whereby tilting of the leg with respect to the frame will bring the extension of the leg into contact with the periphery'of the wheel to provide a braking action on the wheel;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 591,751 Fisher Oct. 12, 1897 594,327 Coffman Nov. 23,1897 1,553,490 Wallace Sept. 15,1925 1,746,307 Frank Feb. 11, 1930 2,185,503 Fryer Jan. 2, 1940 2,525,023 Ensminger Oct. 10, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 407,352 Germany Dec. 19, 1924 407,353 Germany Dec. 22, 1924 412,796 Germany Apr. 30,1925 589,559 France Feb. 25, 1925 

